A Tangled Tale
by animeaddict08
Summary: The beautiful but lonely Princess Kimiko has spent her entire life in a tower, oblivious of what life was like outside. But with a chance meeting with a wanted thief named Raimundo, she was about to discover a whole new world for the first time. Disney animated movie "Tangled" meets the very awesome "Xiaolin Showdown"! RaiKim. Rated T just to be safe.
1. Prologue

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **Hi there! It's been a long time since I actually write a fanfic. I don't when was the last time I actually wrote one. ^^; This is also actually one of my XS fanfics, which is ALSO one of my first parody fics. Hehe, hitting two birds with one stone, right? XD_

_After hearing that a new season of Xiaolin Showdown is coming out (now known as Xiaolin Chronicles) I got so excited that I type away on the laptop and just let my feeling pour out. XD I dunno how Tangled got involved in here-I just read a Tangled Parody fic of another media, so decided to make a XS x Tangled parody, and I said "Why the hell not?"_

Anyways, hope you like it, and happy reading! :D

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**Prologue**

This is the story on how the savvy young man named Raimundo Pedrosa died.

Don't panic! This isn't exactly a tragedy at all, and is in fact rather amusing. Also, this story isn't even about him. This story centers on a girl named Kimiko.

And it all started with a prophecy.

Once upon a time, there was once an empress who craved for unimaginable power. She was actually a very attractive woman who can pretty much get away with anything with just her charm alone. Oh, and she was once actually the most powerful being in the world, and thus, would do anything to quench her thirst for power.

This selfish gluttony led to a Great War within her kingdom. A young monk, who goes by the name Dashi, rebelled against the malicious queen and swore to free the citizens from the bonds of her tyranny.

Empress Wuya, who won't let anything or anyone stand between her from her conquest for power, reacted to his rebellion, and challenged him to a showdown.

As fate would have it, the empress crippled in defeat. The young monk pointed his spear to the fallen queen, hoping for a revelation. The empress took no heed to his mercy and was prepared to strike him again when Dashi brought out a magical box out of nowehere, forcing the all-powerful queen to be sucked into a realm of the unknown.

The whole kingdom burst into an loud applause, congratulating the young monk who saved them all. They all thought everything has calmed down and peace had reign over.

They were wrong.

A millenium and a half later Empress Wuya, now just an intangible malevolent spirit, managed to break out from her post-eternal prison. The lost empress had lost control over herself, and was seeking revenge. She went back to the castle, where a new Emperor had taken her place. As she was about to plan her comeback, she saw a sweet-looking infant sleeping peacefully in her flower-embroided crib. Without hesitation, the ghost snatched the baby with whatever available spell she could muster to carry her, in contrast to her current state, and escape as quickly as possible just when the old successor of the throne, Emperor Fung, caught a glimpse of the crying baby being snatched away in the night.

The Emperor sent many skilled warriors, men and women alike, to search for the missing infant, who happens to be the future Dragon Warrior of Fire and the daughter of the late queen. He ordered the warriors to search for the lost princess and bring her back home safely, but nobody had come back with the baby in hand.

Deep into the depths of the forest, filled with beasts of every shape and size, Wuya raised the child as her own. Blessed with smooth porcelain skin, glossy black hair, and eyes so blue it matched the very hue of the perfect blue sky itself, the little girl was like a golden ticket for Wuya. It didn't take long for her to make a spell, in a form of a song, that can transform her translucent, wispy form back into her glorified human body, just by singing the spell to the child.

_**"Fire, glare and glow," **_the woman softly sings to the little girl as she combed her luscious black hair with her fingers. _**"Let your magic shine. Make the clock reverse,**_ _**bring back what once was mine...Bring forth your power, change what has been done...Bring back what once was mine..."**_ Wuya smiled contentedly as she can feel the full transformation taking place. _**"What once was mine..."**_ the woman smiled when she saw her her beautiful and voluptuous form come back to her once more.

As the girl listened to her mother figure singing , she asked her in a quiet but sweet voice, "Mommy, why am I not allowed to go outside?"

Wuya stopped combing her hair and recollected her thoughts. She really didn't know the reason in the first place; she just knew that she had the urge that she had to. She replied instead with a different answer as she continued combing the girl's hair. "The world outside is a cruel and dark place. If you leave, where would you go? There are full of horrible, dangerous and selfish people who will never care for you or even want to look at you. Here, I keep you well fed and warm from the cold, heartless people outside. There is no reason for you to leave, and if you do, who knows what will happen to you? I am keeping you here for your own safety. Do you understand?"

The poor little girl sadly nodded because, somehow, what she had said was right. "Yes, mother..."

The concrete walls of the ancient tower, and the trees that hide everything else so well, still couldn't keep everything for the outside world out of sight. Every year on the birthday of the stolen princess, the elder emperor would throw hundreds of thousands of ink-drawn drawings into the midnight wind, hoping that one day the lost princess will somehow find a piece of it and make it back to the kingdom, back to her home.

Even though collecting the odd drawings became an annual ritual to her, she could not decipher its meaning nor its message at all. Her mother figure dismissed them as rubbish and insisted her to throw them away, but the girl instead hang them over around the walls of her room, to at least make some life out of her dull bedroom.

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So what do you think? R&R please! ^^


	2. When will my life begin?

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **__Hi there again! YAY! A new chapter! :D Finally got my butt out of the couch and actually started something. ^^_

_Sorry if it took rather long for some of you guys-I got sick during New Year's Eve (boo), and now some of the social sites I'd rather be in were blocked or something. Anyways. here's another chap, and hope y'all like it! ^^ Btw, sorry for the future typos you'll be seeing here. :I_

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own Xiaolin Showdown nor Tangled, because if I did RaiKim would've been canon and the new Xiaolin Chronicles would have been a lot more similar to its predecessor. :_

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A spunky teenage girl sprinted fast to her rather large bedroom to the balcony, holding what seems to be a golden comb in her right hand. Staring down from the highest peak of the tower, she sighed as she was searching for her playful pet. They were playing hide and seek out of boredom's sake since her mother hasn't been back from her food gathering in the nearby village.

She tip-toed on her way to the wooden door that leads to her balcony, knowing that her mischievous cat is perched on its favorite spot there. As quietly and stealthy as she can, she sneaked behind the door, and suddenly opening it with much force that it hit the concrete walls and almost hit the potted plants.

"Ha!" The girl exclaimed, though there was no response. She instinctively brushed her smooth black hair with her fingers as she says, "Oh well! I guess Keiko's not hiding out here..." She then heard the ever familiar teasing purr of her pet cat, and in just a split second, found the cat hiding behind between the vines and her well-cared potted plants. "Gotcha!" the teenage girl shouted, causing the cat to give a short screech before running its way back into the room, only to be caught by its owner. The cat waved its tail limply in defeat. "You silly cat. And I knew I wouldn't use the Tangled Web Comb to catch you; you're just way too noisy for this game." The cat pouted as it squirmed in her arms. "Well okay, lil' miss grumpy, what do you want to do?" she asked, stroking its dark colored fur. The cat pointed its paw outside.

The girl was hesitant for a moment. "Yeeeaaah right. I don't think so." She got up and sat on the thick wooden fence that surrounded the small space of the balcony. "I don't see that happening. If I like it in here, then so do you." she said as she pointed her finger expectantly at her feline friend. It only stuck out its tongue.

"Oh come on Keiko, it's not so bad in here." She placed down her cat to move around freely and went back to her bedroom to do her own business. She decided to start with her household chores, more out of habit than of pressured responsibility. She picked up a broom to sweep the floor and went along to sing.

_**"Seven a.m., the usual morning lineup**_. _**Gonna use the Shen Gong Wus so the house will be sparkly clean~"**_ She picked up a pair of shoes and wore it, which she remembered is a Shen Gong Wu named "Fancy Feet". In an instant she grab the broom near the staircase and began to sweep the floor with great speed. Then she searches for a certain satin cloth and wrapped it around her waist.

_**"Polish and wax with the help of the 'Third Arm Sash'. Sweep again, and by then, it'll be like seven-fifteen?" **_She gave out an exasperated sigh and went on.

_**"And so I'll read a book, or maybe two or three? I'll add a few new scriptures to my gallery~" **_ She sang as she pinned the mysterious drawings with symbols onto the vast walls of her large bedroom.

_**"I'll play fire, and bake, and eat and basically-" **_She paused for a while and sighed. _**"Just wonder when will my life begin?" **_Her singing went on, describing her daily routine as she continues.

_**"Then after lunch it's Xiaolin Showdown with the locals" **_She groaned, remembering those boring showdowns she had with the old locals from a remote village that her mother figure introduced to her. They were not so challenging.

_**"Fixing my hair, save up money for a new dress. Polish my nails and play the music while I'm at it." **_After drying the nail polish, she stood up. _**"Then I'll stretch, maybe sketch. Take a rest. Wear a dress!" **_She paused as she tries to catch her breath. Then went along to continue her song.

_**"And I'll replay the games, if I have time to spare. I'll put some scriptures more, I'm sure there's room somewhere..."**_ She sighed deeply when she realized there was no more space on her walls for the remaining papers.

_**"And then I'll toss and toss and toss and toss some flames..." **_She paused once again from her running and making sure she didn't burn the tower down with her flames. Luckily they already went out. _**"Stuck in the same place I've always been..."**_ She sadly continues her singing.

_**"And I'll keep wonderin' and wonderin' and wonderin' and wonderin', when will my life begin?" **_She twirled around her room, only to get herself dizzy, so she immediately stopped. She ran towards to the balcony and leaned at the edge of the thick fence. Her cat Keiko, in turn, followed her and looked up curiously at her teenage playmate.

_**"Tomorrow night, the drawings will appear. Just like they do on my birthday each year..." **_She smiled at her cat, which was now perched on the fence, and stroked its soft fur. She savored the radiance and warmth of the sunlight that touched her pale skin, but immediately turned around to face her lonely bedroom.

_**"What is it like? Out there where they blow...?" **_She walked back inside and stared at the huge dome-like walls of her room, decorated with the drawing scriptures she receives annually. _**"Now that I'm older...Mother might just..."**_ She paused, touching the edge of one of the papers hanging on the walls, and whispered _**"...let me go..."**_

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_**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **__So how was it in this chap now? Good? Bad? I wouldn't know it myself, so please feed me with reviews! ^^ It'd be deeply appreciated~ 33_


	3. Wuya knows best!

_**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **__Hello yet again from your friendly neighborhood procrastinator! :D I've been meaning to do this later, but since exams will come in next week, I decided to do the next chap right now since I won't find the time to do this again for the next few weeks or so (what with our graduation practices and whatnot *sighs*)_

_Oh yeah, I should have warned earlier-I'm trying my best to make all the scenes and the characters VERY SIMILAR to the movie "Tangled" but at the same time not making the characters of the Xioalin Showdown OOC (which was hard considering I'm not good with crossovers XD). And yes, I included revamped versions of the songs for your enjoyment (or maybe just to relieve my creativity lol!) You might want to read the lyrics with their respective instrumentals if you want. :)_

_And again, reviews are truly and deeply appreciated! *winks, thumbs up*_

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A trio of bandits snuck their way into the castle, minding themselves with silence as they did so. Standing at the brink of the topmost floor of the tallest tower, a young lady mimics the purr of a cat when she eyes on the bejeweled treasure that sits atop on a small intricate table just below from the roof.

"I got my eyes on the prize, boys..." the female thief whispered with a mischievous smile plastered on her pixie face. Brushing away strands of short blond hair away from her eyes, she grabbed a rope from a small shoulder bag she's been carrying. "You two ready for this?"

Her two male companions nodded. A young man with a pale, almost white complexion and crimson red hair and eyes raised his hand. "So how we gonna do this, Ashley?" He asked.

His female counterpart, more popularly known as Katnappe, arched an eyebrow. "What are you talkin' about, Jack? We've been through this for a jillion times-"

The redhead's eyes lit up in excitement. "OOH! I know!" He raised his index finger. "I could send over my JackBots right away and fight those guards as distraction," he waves his hands dramatically as he explains "and while they're at it, we could blow up this roof, steal away the goods, and we'll be filthy-stinkin' rich in no time!" he exclaimed as he pumped his fist in the air. "Isn't that an awesome plan?! Planned out by yours truly, of course." he smiled.

There was a long silence before the feline-looking girl brought her palm to her face in annoyance. "For a self-proclaimed 'Boy Genius', your plans sound so idiotic..." she commented. Before her insulted companion could have a chance to speak, she retorted "First of all, we've been through with this plan for many times now, remember? Second, we're doing this as _stealthily _and as _quietly_ as possible." she said. "So no surprises, explosions, or any sort of robots taking part of our plan. Got it?"

Jack only pouted. "But it was such a great plan..."

Ignoring his self-loathing, she turned her attention to her other male companion. "How 'bout you, Raimundo? Got anything to ask?"

The teenage boy with tanned skin and emerald green eyes gave out a small cocky smile. "Nope. Got nothing to clarify." he said as he swept his fingers through his dark brunette hair. "Let's just get this over with."

The blonde girl tied the rope securely to a flag pole nearby, pulling it fiercely to make sure it won't come off loose. She looked down from the open glass windows of the roof, checking if there are any guards in the vicinity. There is only one guard nearest to the pillar that holds the treasure, just a few feet away. "Hmph, this looks like an easy catch." she said. "There's only one guard nearest to the loot, but his back's away from it. There's probably ten or fifteen others there too, but that won't be a problem since they're fairly far away."

The brunette nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Just gimme the rope and let's do this!" he said, almost in a hurry.

Ashley rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine! You don't have to be so cocky about this." She said as she gave him the rope.

"And remember-" the redhead called out, "-don't get yourself caught!"

The brown-hair boy snickered. "Don't give me orders, frosty!" he said as he takes a step down from the roof and proceeded sliding down on the rope.

"Hey! If this is about my paleness-I mean, the _awesomeness _of my skin color," he threw his arms in the air "I'm tellin' ya it's a skin condition!"

Raimundo paused suddenly as he lets the view of the scenery sink in. The lush gardens, the clear blue sky, and the very elegance and wealth of the castle made him stop for a while. He whistles and leans on a concrete wall. "Wow." he gasped. "I could get used in a view like this."

The two other thieves stared at each other. Jack was the first to speak up. "Dude, we do this _everyday_." he said. "And just what happened to your hurrying-"

The brown-haired teen shushed him. It took a short moment to fully satisfy him. "Yep. I'm used to it."

He just smiled and went on to his business. Sliding down from a rope is easy enough for him already after a hundred experiences, and stealing anything from clothes to gold is almost a chore to him. But stealing anything from the royal castle guarded with skilled warriors, let alone protected by a magical force that repels anybody to go in or out unless altered, is no laughing matter. They've been planning this for weeks, even going as far as searching for a solution to break off the magical force field that surrounds the castle, stealing the palace map from the chief guard, and to familiarize themselves with the paths of the whole castle and its possible escape routes. After a hundred or so failures in their scheming to steal goods from unsuspecting innocents, they wouldn't dare to screw this one up.

As he was getting closer to the treasure, which was a arm's length away, he did something that was not part at the plan at all. "Hey, how's it going down there?" He asked casually at the nearest guard that has its back away from him.

The oblivious guard simply shrugged. "Nah, good." It takes him a moment when he realizes that no guard is stationed behind him, and he was a second too late when he saw the tanned teenager being lifted quickly away upwards, escaping with the castle's prized possession that has been preserved and protected for the soon-to-be found lost princess.

"Hey, you!" the guard shouted as more guards approached quickly to witness the crime scen at hand. "Get back with the princess' crown!"

"Oh, you mean _this_ crown?" the brunette mockingly waves the crown at them "The crown that will never be used since the supposed princess is long gone?"

"HA! That's right. In your face, LOSERS!" the red-haired teen shouted from above as he hurriedly pulled the rope alongside his female companion. "Nobody can ever mess with Team Spicer!"

The blonde girl grunted. "Shut up, Jack! Just get Rai's butt outta here and LET'S GO!" she screamed as they finally pulled their fellow thief safely on his feet and sprinted all the way down the castle, careful not to startle the other guards, which they already did.

When they catched up to the bridge and were sure that the guards can't keep up with them any longer, the brunette happily shouted out. "Can you picture me living in a castle of my own? 'Cause I'm sure as heck I do!" he continued as they ran out of view and into the depths of the forest. "All the things we've seen, and it's only eight in the morning! Guys, this is a very big day!"

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"This is a very big day, Keiko!" the black-haired teen excitedly whispered to her pet cat. "This is it! I'm finally going to ask her." She organizes all her accessories and trinkets in a small wooden box with a mirror inside to relieve her excitement. After that she shoved it inside her drawer. "Today's the day." she said, now more assuring to herself instead to her cat.

"KIMIKO!" a voice shouted from outside. "Transport me there!"

"It's time!" she happily whispered to her cat, who immediately perked up in a sitting position and happily waves its tail. "I know, I know. Now you stay here." she patted her cat before looking for something in the drawers and in the dressers. "I wonder where I placed the Golden Tiger Claws..."

"Kimiko," the voice called out again, a lot more in a hurry this time. "you know I'm not getting myself immortal down here~"

"Coming, mother!" she shouted back. Wearing the Shen Gong Wu securely in her right hand, she swipes it into thin air, and a magical wormhole suddenly appeared. Another one appeared in front of her mother figure, who simply passed through it and emerged at the wormhole in Kimiko's room.

"Oh, Kimiko!" her mother exclaimed with a well-played worried expression. "How do you manage to do this every single day without fail?" she caressed her daughter's face with her hand. "It must be quite an annoyance to you to wait for your mother to come home, worried even." But really, she doesn't care if she does.

"Nah, it's nothing mom."

"Then I don't know why it takes so long." She smiled and taps at her nose. "Oh I'm just teasing with you, darling! Ah..." she sighed, obviously tired.

To Kimiko, it was more like she was teasing _at _her than _with _her.

She nervously laughed, but quickly brightened up as she approached her and tells her big announcement. "Uhm, so! Mother," she looks at her mother who was busy admiring herself at the large oval mirror, stroking her long fiery red mane. "You know that tomorrow is going to be a big day-"

"Kimiko, come here." her mother interrupted her, waving her arms for the girl to come closer. As she did, she wrapped her arms around the girl's petite shoulders, and stared at the mirror as if posing for a family portrait. "Look into that mirror. Do you know what I see?" she asked. "I see a strong, confident, and beautiful young lady..." she said with a warm smile.

The young girl almost assumed that her mother actually complimented her, which happens in very rare occasions. A large smile formed on her lps.

"Oh look, you're here too." her mother suddenly said. She bursts into laughter, causing the black-haired teen to give a sheepish laugh. "Oh I'm just teasing dearie; stop taking everything so seriously!" she sighed as she stroked her youthful face, mentally praising herself for her smooth olive skin.

"Haha...yeah mom." she said, hiding her disappointment. "As I was saying-"

"Look, mommy's a little burned out..." her mother whimpered. "Sing me the song, and then we'll talk."

"O-Of course mother!" she quickly ran to get her mother's favorite chair, and placed it at the center of the room. Before her mother could get the chance to speak, Kimiko grabbed her by the shoulders and almost forced her to sit down. After that she grabbed a small wooden stool and sat on it in front of her mother, and began singing in a fast pace. _**"Fireglareandglow, letyourmagicshine-"**_

"W-Wait!" her mother shouted out, but she continued on.

_**"Maketheclockreverse, bringbackwhatoncewasmine, bringforthyourpower, changewhathasbeendone-"**_

Her mother could already feel the surge of immortality rushing through her entire being in just an instant before the girl could even finish the song. "Kimiko!" she cuts her off.

"Mother!" she beamed happily as she hugged her mother figure's left arm. "I've been meaning to remind you this since this morning, but you were in such a hurry so I didn't get the chance, so I'm here to tell you that tomorrow is my birthday!" she excitedly blurted. "Ta-da!"

Her red-haired mother just stared at her "No no no no no" instead she gently shoved her away. "I just absolutely remembered. Your birthday was last year." she simply stated.

"Hehe that's the funny thing about birthdays!" Kimiko said. "They're kinda an annual thing."

"That's exactly the point." her mother said, crossing her arms. "You can't expect _every_ birthday to be special. Trust me dear, your going to have a LOT more of them-"

The pale-skinned girl gave out a loud and heavy sigh. "Look mom, I'm turning _eighteen_" she said the last word firmly as she was busy twirling with her smooth black pigtails. "And I wanted to ask-urgh! What I REALLY want for this birthday-actually, I wanted to tell you this earlier, but yeahyouwerebusyandallandIkin dadon'twantto..." she muttered with tangled words as she nervously plays with her hair.

"Stop with the muttering, Kimiko! You know how I hate it when you go 'BLAH BLAH blabbity blah blah" she scolded, almost mocking her, when she quickly switched back to her sweet mother mode. "Oh, you know I'm just messing with you darling, I love you so much!" she said as she stood up from her seat and pinched her cheek, making her way towards the large cabinet that holds all the Shen Gong Wus that she single-handedly collected.

Kimiko just only sighed in defeat. She seeks her cat for advice, who made a motion with its paw as if to go on with the plan.

She bites her lips as she's having second thoughts if she continues to speak or not, but the excitement got the better of her. "I wanna see the flying papers!" she suddenly blurted out, causing her mother to turn around to face her.

"...What?"

"Umm I was hoping that you would...take me to see the flying papers!"

Her mother just gave her a small smile as she continues organizing the Shen Gong Wus. "Oh you mean the leaves..."

"That's the thing, mother!" she exclaimed. She brought out books about leaves in a large bookshelf filled with other books with different varieties, mostly about dresses, flowers, cooking and magic. "I've studied about different kinds of leaves, and many of them don't just come flying out there in one direction in one time." She paused as she stares at the large dome-shaped walls of her room, filled with the mysterious drawings that she had collected over the years. She approached these drawings and said "But _these..._these appear every year on my birthday mom, _only _on my birthday!" She caught herself fumbling at the edges of the papers. "And I can't help but wonder...that they are meant...for _me._"

Her mother just rolled her eyes and walked to another direction, but the she continued. "I _need _to see them, mother!" she said. "And not just from my window, but in person." she bit her lip, then opened her mouth to say, "I need to know what they _are_."

Her mother stopped in her tracks, just in front of the window. _**"You want to go outside?" **_she asked, raising her hand to emphasize the question. _**"Why, Kimiko!" **_she instantly closed the window, preventing the warm sunlight from entering any further.

_**"Look at you, as hot-headed as a fire." **_she commented as she patted her daughter on the head. _**"Still a little lassie, with no doubt.**_ _**You know why we stay up in this tower..."**_

"I know!, But-"

_**"That's right! To protect you from harm dear." **_she sang, caressing the soft and silky black hair of the young teen. _**"Guess I always knew this day was coming" **_She walked to the other window and drew close the red satin curtains, dramatically placing her hand on her forehead. _**"Knew that soon you'd want to leave the cage. Soon, but not yet."**_

"Yeah, but-"

_**"Shh! Trust me, pet. Wuya knows best!" **_then all of a sudden, the lights went dim, and Kimiko was left all alone in the darkness. _**"Wuya knows best, listen to your mother, it's a wicked world out there." **_the poor girl yelped when she tripped on her own two feet, but quickly regained her balance.

_**"Wuya knows best, one way or another, something will go wrong I swear~"**_the red-haired woman continued to sing in the darkness, and Kimiko tripped again, which was unusual for her to be this clumsy. _**"Ninjas, thugs. Evil beans, quicksands. Cannibals and snakes...the plague!" **_the woman suddenly emerged at the darkness, placing an eerie smirk on her face, causing Kimiko to go pale and almost faint.

"N-No!"

_**"Yes! Also large bugs, men with pointy teeth!" **_the girl leaped from surprised when she saw her mother came out of the shadows and placed her hand on her forehead. _**"Stop, no more. You're just scaring me!"**_

"Wah!" Kimiko yelped, running to the nearest drawer where she could hide.

_**"Mother's right here! Mommy will protect you." **_she dragged the girl's shoulders to stand straight up. _**"Darling, here's what I suggest~"**_

The black-haired teen hugged her mother tightly, only to find out that she was hugging a fighting-practice mannequin instead, and she immediately stepped back.

_**"Skip the drama, stay with mama...Wuuyaaaa knows best!" **_she chuckles in the midst of the darkness, disappearing instantly after waving the black robe she's wearing over herself.

Kimiko can't see much from the dark, so she casts small flames out of her fingers and let a few floating in mid-air. As she did so, her mother put them out with her fingers.

_**"Wuya know's best. Take it from your mumsy! On your own you won't survive."**_ Wuya pushed her daughter towards to her favorite oval mirror and pointed out her flaws-or at least, how she views it. _**"Tacky, under-dressed, impulsive, spunky! Please, they'll eat you up aliiive!"**_

Kimiko glared at her mother, not understanding how all those traits truly reflect her. Seriously, _tacky? _If she meant her fashion sense, then she's not going to agree to that statement.

_**"Gullible, naive! Absolutely shabby." **_Wuya spun her daughter in many circles, causing the girl to get dizzy. When she came to, the mother figure continues _**"Reckless, and a bit, well...vague! Plus I believe, gettin' kinda chubby-"**_

_"What?" _Kimiko's eyes widen at this comment. She examined herself and didn't see herself that way. Before she could have a stand, her mother interrupted her.

_**"I'm just saying 'cause I wuv you."**_ Wuya grabs her daughter's cheeks and squeezed them like she did when she was a little kid. _**"Mother understands. Mother's here to help you. All I have is one request~"**_

Kimiko, with a sigh of relief, ran to her mother figure to hug her. Wuya in return stroked her hair, waiting for a few moments before saying, "Kimiko?

The young girl looked up and stared at her mother's deep green eyes. "Yes, mom?"

Her mother's soft gaze quickly hardened into a cold glare_**. **_"Don't ever ask to leave this tower _again_." her lips formed a thin line before asking "Am I making myself clear?"

Her daughter lowered her head sadly, knowing this is the response she would get. Oh well, she tried. "Yes, mother..."

Wuya forced herself to soften her expression. She stroked the raven-haired teen's face, locking her gaze. "I love you, _very_ much dear."

Kimiko formed a small but sad smile and replied "I love you more."

Her mother smiled. Though as small as it is, this smile was for real. But she could not decipher how or why is that possible for a hardened 1,500-year-old immortalized, fallen empress. "I love you the most." She soft stroked her smooth black hair before giving her a kiss on the forehead. _**"Don't forget it. You will regret it..." **_she tapped her daughter's nose teasingly, _**"Wuuuyaaa~ knows best." **_she caressed her face once more before leaving her in the darkness.

As much as she was touched at her mother's rare, and really failed, way showing her motherly love, she can't help but wonder.

_Will I ever see the papers?_

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_**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **__Whoo! Finally done! :D To be honest, this is my longest chapter EVER to be written with my own lazy hands so far, so I kinda consider this as a lifetime achievement. XD Though I'm very sorry if this doesn't sound like Tangled like I wanted to, and/or that the characters in XS are out of character. I try to keep those in mind, but it's sometimes hard to do that while doing homework y'know. :p_

_So please R&R! Free cookies to those who do :3_


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